Bristol music legends to play 'Massive' show on The Downs in 2024

Bristol music legends to play 'Massive' show on The Downs in 2024

Posted on: 05 Dec 2023

Trip hop heroes Massive Attack have today announced a summer appearance in Bristol with those living in and around the city given exclusive access to tomorrow’s presale - see here.

 

Massive Attack will play Clifton Downs, Bristol on Sunday 25 August 2024.

 

Marking their first UK gig in five years, the event has been dubbed a Climate Action Accelerator with the band announcing a commitment to climate action, pledging that the show “will be the lowest carbon event of its scale ever staged & Massive Attack fans will play a vital role in that achievement.” View the full statement on X (formerly Twitter) below.

 

BUY TICKETS HERE

 

 

Massive Attack were pioneers of the trip-hop movement in the 1990s alongside fellow Bristol acts such as Portishead and Tricky - an early Massive Attack member himself. Their dark hypnotic sound and use of hip-hop and dub alongside jazz/R&B-inspired vocals came to define the genre for many.

 

The group were formed from the ashes of beloved Bristol soundsystem and DJ collective The Wild Bunch by Andrew ‘Mushroom’ Vowles and Grant ‘Daddy G’ Marshall in 1988. Robert del Naja (AKA 3D) joined, and debut single ‘Daydreaming’ ft Tricky and Shara Nelson and classic track ‘Unfinished Sympathy’ soon followed.

 

Their debut record Blue Lines came in 1991 to widespread critical acclaim, instantly reaching classic status. After a three-year gap, Massive Attack returned with Protection, featuring a slew of high-profile special guests from the world of indie – the record included cult classic ‘Karmacoma’.

 

 

After various collaboration and remix projects in the following years, the band resurfaced with Mezzanine in 1998. Featuring vocals from Elizabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins, returning reggae singer Horace Andy and more, it once more became a hit, topping the UK charts and birthing such dancefloor classics as ‘Teardrop’ and ‘Inertia Creeps’.

 

Despite various lineup changes – Vowles left the band following Mezzanine and Marshall took a brief hiatus to focus on family – Massive Attack have scored numerous successes since then, releasing albums 100th Window and Heligod as well as shorter releases Ritual Spirit, The Spoils and Eutopia.

 

Over the years, Massive Attack have collaborated with an almost exhaustive list of musical legends, including David Bowie, Madonna, Sinéad O’Connor, Guy Garvey, Burial, Roots Manuva, Young Fathers, Hope Sandoval and Ghost Poet.

 

 

This upcoming Bristol show, their first since 2016, aims to set the precedent for the music industry, which Massive Attack say is falling short of where it should be in terms of sustainability. The event – which looks set to be a full day of music with more acts yet to be announced – will be powered completely by renewable energy.

 

Massive Attack will play Clifton Downs, Bristol on Sunday 25 August 2024 with tickets on pre-sale tomorrow (Wednesday) and general sale on Friday, 8 December 2023. Secure yours, HERE.

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Article by:

Stanley Gray

Stan is a born and bred Bristolian, recently graduated from studying English Literature in Sheffield. His passions are music and literature and he spends the majority of his time in venues all over the city, immersing himself in Bristol’s alternative music scene. A lifelong Bristol City fan, Stan’s Saturdays are spent watching his team both home and away.